Walk on Water or Drown
by IceQueenJules26
Summary: Misty's life as an Elite Four Member is turned upside down when she learns that Ash is back in Kanto - and well on his way to her...
1. We All Fall to Pieces

The media and general public had always shown a fairly huge interest in Misty. In her time as the Gym Leader she'd had interview requests every other day and had to get her sisters to manage them, and if anything, it had only gotten worse since she had joined the Elite Four. When Lorelei had decided to step down to start a family and take over a Gym instead, it was the path of least resistance to promote Misty since their teams were fairly similar in types.

Not that Misty hadn't deserved her spot in the Elite Four - she had. She'd grown so strong even the others were almost terrified of her, and when they had matches to pass the time - being a member of the Elite Four involved a lot of waiting - she usually wiped the floor with them.

Her promotion also meant that she now had someone to deal with interview requests, she just got informations on when she had to meet with whom. That obviously had a lot of benefits, but it also had a downside: she no longer had any idea of how much she was in demand.

She'd noticed the slowly growing numbers in interviews she had scheduled over the next few weeks - after her periodical two weeks break she usually had like two or three a week, but when she'd taken a glimpse into her calendar there was one every day now.

When she woke up one morning in late July she went for a morning swim and had a light breakfast before she first took a look at her smartphone. There were a few texts that she ignored in favour of looking into her work calendar. She was sure when she'd checked yesterday she didn't have anything planned, but now there was an interview scheduled for this morning.

She shot Cynthia, their current champ and her best friend, a quick text to cancel the sparring match they had planned this morning, then she put the phone down again. Her fingers itched to take a look at her social media, but she'd decided to take half a year off and she was determined to go through with it. Just a few more days, then she'd be done with it and could tell her sisters that all that talk about "detoxification" was nothing but nonsense.

She arrived exactly on time for her interview with _KTV, _a famous television agency from Kanto, in her usual outfit of shorts and a crop top. Vaporeon, always happy to be recorded, accompanied her, greeted the crew with an adorable _Vapo_ and had the crew cooing at her in no time at all, which had Misty sighing. She wished she was that natural with cameras and attention.

Her pokemon took a place in front of the camera, tail propped around herself almost artistically, and looked pretty while the crew took some "practicing shots" of her. Misty giggled to herself at how fast Vaporeon had them wrapped around her paw, then she turned her attention towards the journalist interviewing her today. "Hi, my name's Masumi, I'm from _KTV_ and will be your interviewer today. It's nice to meet you!"

Her face radiated friendliness that soothed Misty's anxiety over the interview considerably, and she allowed herself to relax. "Hi, I'm Misty. And I guess you've already met my Vaporeon," she joked, and the crew turned to her with glowing eyes, telling her how pretty her pokemon was. She smirked as her pokemon made small, cute noises as she was being praised, knowing exactly well Vaporeon did that on purpose.

"Anyways, do you want to start or do you need anything?" the journalist asked and Misty shook her head dismissively. She just wanted to get this over with.

It was all going well - a lot of questions about her past that stroke her as odd, but nothing too bad - at least until the mention of a single name caught her completely off guard, threw her off her game and left her having trouble breathing..

"So, I'm sure you've heard that someone from your past has gained a lot of fans recently - what do you say about the fact that Ash Ketchum is taking on the Kanto league again?"

Surprisingly, her eyes went wide for just a fraction of a second before she had her face back in check, but her heart was still racing in her chest. Ash. She hadn't heard that name years. Why had no one told her he was even back in Kanto?

For a few seconds she did nothing but stare into space, absentmindedly stroking her Vaporeon, who looked at her with worried eyes. Masumi pulled her out of her trip down memory lane, but Misty had trouble focussing. _Ash_. Just his name had provoked a storm within her that she had no idea how to calm; a thousand thoughts ran through her head and she didn't know how to focus on one.

"Sorry, can you say that again?"

Even after Masumi kindly repeated the question Misty was still speechless. She opened and closed her mouth, like a fish, and felt ridiculous as she looked fearfully towards the cameras. Dear Arceus, this would single handedly kill her reputation…

"You seem to need a moment - do you want to take a quick break?" the interviewer asked and the readhead's heart burned with appreciation. "That'd be great, thank you."

Sadly, even five minutes of fresh air did next to nothing for her concentration. It was like her brain had short circuited, like some parts were burnt that were crucial for a smooth-running thought process.

She took a deep breath as she took a seat on the sofa. Vaporeon, aware of her inner turmoil, itched closer and rested her head in her lap. "Thanks, sweetheart," Misty murmured, and her pokemon _'poooo'_ed quietly.

"So, it looks like you weren't aware of the happenings the last few weeks?"

Misty, the portrayal of calmness in front of her camera even though she was falling apart inside, shook her head. "My sisters convinced me to take a break from social media, and I haven't been watching the news recently. Guess I missed a lot, I didn't even know Ash was back." His name felt like a foreign substance in her mouth, and her tongue almost tripped over the easy, one syllable name. Vaporeon nestled even closer, clearly feeling her hand trembling.

"But you're not surprised the media is interested?"

That question seemed pretty odd, but she decided to ignore it. She shrugged. "He's always been a Fan-favourite, so it makes sense."

"You don't think it might have something to do with you?"

Shock shot like ice into her veins, freezing her hand mid-air while stroking the pokemon in her lap. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her ears were ringing. "With me?" she heard herself squeak out without deliberately speaking the words.

The journalist smiled reassuringly, and Misty resumed stroking Vaporeon, trying to calm down her speed up breathing. "He mentioned you quite often in his interviews after taking on a gym leader. Just yesterday, after his win against Blaine -"

"He's already at the Cinnebar Gym?!" Misty interrupted harshly, and Masumi blinked, seemingly confused. "Yes, just the Earth badge is left until -"

But Misty wasn't even listening anymore. _No. Nononono. That can't be true. That would mean he's almost done - he'll be here within the next two weeks. Maybe even less. I can't deal with this -_

While lost in her own thoughts and succumbing into a rising panic Masumi hadn't been inactive either, and when Misty snapped back into reality a tablet was thrust into her hands. She didn't even have the chance to ask before the journalist pressed play on an already loaded video.

It was Ash. Her Ash. The boy she'd met more than fifteen years ago. He looked older, more mature - and, she had to admit, ridiculously handsome. His cap was lopsided, rough black hair sticking out left and right, and his eyes were shining with joy. Pikachu on his shoulder was jumping up and down, nodding enthusiastically while his trainer talked about his win against Blaine.

When the interviewer asked him about his reasoning to try his luck in Kanto again his smile slipped a little, and something like longing - like _sadness_ \- tainted his eyes. Pikachu's ears fell immediately, and he patted his trainer's face affectionately. "It's mostly about Misty. I think I've mentioned her a couple of times the last few weeks, but it's the truth - or at least a big part of it. I haven't seen her for a while, and I'm so proud she made it into the Elite Four, but never had the chance to tell her - so it seemed like a good idea to try."

"Hold on - so instead of picking up a phone to call her you decided to take on the league?"

Misty had expected something goofy here, something that ten year old Ash would have said - something along the lines of _That didn't seem like fun_, but he threw her off again. "It's a bit more complicated than that - I had to prove something to myself first, and…" He trailed off, thinking for a moment, then he exchanged a look with his partner, who nodded encouragingly. "You know what, ask me again when I have become the champion. There's a few things I'm not ready to say yet, but I have a feeling I will be then."

Tears had sprung to Misty's eyes at his voice, at the way he said her name, caressed it - like it was a beautiful flower deserving of love and protection. A sob was making a way up her throat and she tried to choke it back, but it was useless; the next one was right on its heels. Her vision blurred as she looked at the mature Ash on the screen, remembering the boy she had fallen in love with years ago - the teenager she had lost to his need for adventure - the man she was _still_ helplessly in love with. She might have learned to live with it, learned to not choke up every time she heard his name; but the long time without him, without even the mention of him had wrapped her into a false sense of security and left her completely open for attacks.

It wasn't fair, what he was doing to her; it wasn't fair that their break up years ago had left her in pieces, unable to properly function for weeks, and that he still had the same effect on her, even now, after years. It had taken such a long time to pick herself up again, but he'd left, so life had gotten easier over time. There had never been a thought of being over him, just because he had just quietly left her mind - but deep down she knew it had never been a question - she had fallen in love with Ash as a girl and never managed to get out of it. She'd made her peace with it, somewhere in the roots of her heart - he was it for her, but she'd never be it for him.

Hearing from him, and now seeing him, hearing how he talked about her - it was too much. She couldn't handle it. She leapt up from the couch, Vaporeon complaining loudly, choked out an "_I can't" -_

And then she ran out of the room, her pokemon hurrying after her.

She didn't speak to anyone for almost 24 hours after that. She'd run to her room and locked the door, had even returned Vaporeon to her pokeball because she couldn't handle the pitying glances her pokemon gave her. She turned the music up, tried to drown out the world; tried to let her mind process what had just happened.

To no avail.

Her thoughts kept running in circles, over and over again, didn't falter, didn't halt, just took a detour from time to time just to arrive at the original path seconds later. She couldn't believe what was happening, couldn't believe he was back and couldn't deal with it. She wasn't made for this - this lovesick feeling, the heartbreak. She was Misty Waterflower, damnit; the only time she was even _in touch_ with those kind of feelings was when she brushed them under the carpet.

It was the next morning when she gave up and left her best friend into her room - well, she didn't even leave her in voluntarily. Cyn had paused her knocking briefly for some sleep during the night, but when she resumed it the next morning she found the door unlocked. Truth was, Misty had went on a morning run in the early morning and simply forgotten to lock the door behind her when she'd come back, so when she got out of the bathroom after her shower Cyn was sitting on her bed, bend over something lying in her lap - something like a book?

Misty didn't think too much of it, until Cyn heard her approaching and looked up, leaving her with a clear view towards the book -

A cold feeling shot like a spear made out of ice through her heart and she stood, eyes wide, frozen to the spot as her heart shattered into a million pieces. The shards fell to the floor, creating a symphony of high notes combining into something so loud it left Misty's ears ringing.

That book wasn't any book. It was a scrap book of her time with Ash.

She didn't even know why she still had it; hadn't even been aware she did. It must have slipped to the backside of her nightstand in the years she hadn't touched it, but why and how Cynthia had found it now was completely beyond her.

"Where did you find that?" she asked, almost breathless, a lonely tear escaping her eye.

"Misty, I'm so sorry - I didn't -"

"Where did you find it? And why?" She was screaming now, hysterically, but she couldn't help it; without even looking at the pictures and collected memories she knew they would break her heart all over again.

_But isn't that what Ash coming here is doing to you anyways?_

"I didn't know what the big deal was, so I - I called Brock. I just wanted to know what was up with you. He told me to look in the bottom drawer of your nightstand, and that I'd understand - I'm so sorry, Misty. I had no idea."

For a few seconds it was completely silent in the room, Misty was sure she could've heard a pin drop. Her mind was racing once again, trying to figure out what to do while she stared at her best friend like a deer in the headlights. On one hand Cyn's explanation made sense, that she just needed to understand what had happened to support Misty in the best way possible, on the other hand her friend had just violated her privacy and society prompted her to be mad about that.

Misty felt like she needed to let it go, though. Her mind was busy enough with the Ash-shaped problem; and, to be fair, Cynthia had just done it because one of Misty's oldest friends had told her to. She was kind of innocent, wasn't she?

Quietly and without a word she took a seat next to Cynthia, pulling her legs up until she could rest her head on her knees. "So, what do you want to know?" she asked, blankly staring ahead while desperately trying to not sneak a glance at the book in her best friend's lap. She definitely did not want to see that, did not want to be reminded of the most happy time of her life - of how much she still missed him.

"I just - What happened? I thought you were just friends, Misty, I - It didn't make any sense to me, the way you stormed out of there." She spoke quietly, carefully, like talking to a wild animal with a flight risk, but Misty could feel her compassion radiating from her like warmth from a heater, and it warmed her from the inside out.

"We - We were just friends, for a while. The story I told you is true, I suppose; the bike, the travel. Brock and Tracey. We traveled together for a while until I had to go back to my gym and he - he wanted to see more of the world, and I - we fought. I mean we always did, but that time before he left for Hoenn we really fought, not just jabbing. I didn't want him to leave but was too proud to admit that, so I screamed at him to leave me alone… But he - he didn't."

Tears had started to burn in her eyes and a sob interrupted her almost incoherent rambling as she recalled her past. "He just kept asking what was wrong with me, and I couldn't lie anymore, so I screamed at him that I loved him," she recounted in between sobs rattling her small frame. Cynthia put the book aside, laid an arm across Misty's shoulder and rested her head on hers.

"He called me an idiot, then he kissed me. He still left, but we were together for almost three years after that. I visited him in Hoenn and we kept videochatting through his first few months in Sinnoh, but then his calls became less and less and I just knew -" A new sob, more tears, soothing words from Cynthia. The circle repeated itself over and over, but her best friend's closeness comforted her enough to keep going; in fact, she couldn't stop, even if she wanted to.

"When he came home the next time I didn't wait for him to say it. I broke up with him myself. And when he told me he wanted to travel even further this time, all the way to Einall, I knew we'd made the right choice. He had his love and his dream, and I had mine. They - we - it… just didn't work together… But..."

Another sob broke through and she shivered, even though she wasn't cold, at least not from the outside. Her inside was a whole different story, but she was almost used to it by now.

"But you still love him," Cynthia whispered. It wasn't even a question, Misty's emotional state was obvious.

The water master's nod was hardly visible with the way she was sitting, but it wasn't needed, either. Misty was aware that denial would be useless, and she didn't even want to try it. She was hurting badly for years on end now, and she'd hardly ever told anyone. She was so over it.

"But why is he coming here now?" Cynthia asked and her best friend shrugged. "I don't know, Cyn. I don't even know if I want to know."

Out of the both of them, Cynthia would be the first one to understand Ash's reasoning; but it was still far in the future, so in this moment, all she could do was wonder.


	2. But At Least You Fell To Me

It took Misty a few days to find her way back to the world of the living, as Cynthia put it. And in true best-friend-fashion, she gave her a task as well: to check her pokegear.

She found multiple unanswered calls waiting for her. Mostly from her sisters, which was kind of obvious, even Brock and Tracey she had reckoned with, but when she scrolled further down the list she found a name she'd never expected to see there -

"Delia? Who's Delia?" Cyn asked, looking over her shoulder, and Misty frowned, trying to figure out why _she_ out of all people would call her. "Ash's mum," she answered absentmindedly, completely focussed on the screen of her pokegear, she didn't even realize she had said his name without involuntarily flinching.

"You should call her back," Cynthia decided and Misty looked up in surprise. "Really?"

Her best friend just nodded, so she took a deep breath and clicked the "Call back" button.

"Yes, this is Delia Ketchum, how can I help you?"

For a second, Misty's heart stopped and she felt like she was choking, but a calm, encouraging look from her best friend soothed the anxiety that had her in its clammy, wicked hands.

"Hi, Delia. It's-"

"Misty, dear, I'm so glad you called back - how are you doing?"

Tears clouded her sight within seconds as she listened to Delia's soothing voice. It was ridiculous, but she had missed the woman so much; more than she probably even noticed with her longing for Ash overshadowing everything else. "I'm fine, Delia-"

She got interrupted yet again.

"I can hear your voice breaking, dear."

It was a gentle reminder of her deceptiveness, but also of the relationship she'd always had with Ash's mum. The woman could read her like a book, and they were both accurately aware of it, even after years.

"I'm… I don't know, Delia," Misty said, new tears in her eyes and a sob slowly inching up her throat. That was when a sudden realization hit her - she could trust this woman. With her life, and certainly with some secrets, even if they involved her son. "I don't know anything anymore. Or - maybe I just don't want to. I've been heartbroken over him for so long, I had finally managed to suppress it, everything, and now -"

The sob broke free now, and Misty closed her eyes as Cynthia calmly pulled her into a hug. "It'll be okay," she whispered into her best friend's hair but they both knew it was just a phrase. There was no proof she'd ever stop hurting - no proof she'd ever be okay again.

"Now he's back?" Delia prompted softly and and another sob raked through Misty's body, which was all the confirmation she needed.

"Can you explain something to me, Misty?"

Misty sniffed audibly, somehow surprised enough to stop wailing. "Sure?" It sounded more like a question than an answer.

"Why did you break up with him?" The line went silent for a moment, then Delia swallowed loud enough to hear it. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer, it's just - he never told me, and I was too afraid to ask."

"We just - we wanted different things, Delia. Our dreams just didn't add up and - his calls became rare, and it was obvious he wanted to leave me. I just saved him the trouble," Misty answered, surprisingly calm and collected. It was like she had finally reached the point of numbness, like the pain had finally become so bad and so omnipresent her body was tired of it.

"But you didn't stop -" Delia interrupted herself, obviously unsure of how to say it. She was trading dangerous water here, and Misty could feel her wariness, as if approaching a wild animal.

"No."

The word hung in the air between them, heavy and significant before Delia gasped.

"Maybe," she said with feigned calmness, but Misty could feel something bubbling just below the surface, "seeing him again isn't such a bad idea."

It was just after she'd hung up that Misty realized she never asked the other woman what she knew about her son's reappearance.

The next days practically flew by for Misty. She buried herself in paperwork and training of both her pokemon and herself. She hardly noticed the time passing, even forgot to eat a few times; and she was glad her best friend paid close attention to her, otherwise she probably would've starved herself by accident.

Around a week after the disastrous interview Ash challenged and won against Blue, the new Viridian City Gym leader. He send Ash on his way to the elite 4 with a wink and a "send her my best" that had Ash bite his lower lip in something close to anger. Both the comment and Ash's sour reaction to it made no sense to her, but she shrugged it off. Even as he once again mentioned her name in the aftermatch interview she stayed calm and collected and was kind of proud of herself for that.

When asked Ash revealed he planned to make it to the Indigo Plateau as fast as possible, within the week at the latest, and while the new-found numbness made it seem like she couldn't care less to Misty herself, Cynthia almost tripped over herself with worry and started walking on eggshells around her. Misty was a bit miffed about it, but understood her friend enough to appreciate the notion even though it wasn't needed.

Misty almost didn't catch it when Ash finally arrived at the plateau a few days later. Her self-proclaimed social media abstency had ended, so she allowed herself a quick check of what had transpired over her absence - and she was in no way prepared for what she found.

Hundreds upon hundreds of tags and mentions in posts and articles. Personal messages about Ash, about how she was doing from complete strangers, but also from old acquaintances she hadn't spoken to in some time.

Apparently, without people having any idea of what had transpired between them, she was in the middle of a fan-favourite ship - a ship of her and Ash. They called it Pokeshipping, and they had all kinds of theories and ideas about what was going on at the moment. To be fair, Ash had given them a lot to go on; but still she was shocked by the quantity - and the quality - of people being interested and invested in her relationship with Ash.

It hurt her, like a prick of a needle every time people said he loved her and that they'd get together if they weren't already; a needle that transformed more and more into a sword the more she realized how that was nothing but wishful thinking. She had no idea what to make out of the sudden interest he seemed to have in her, but she knew damn well it wasn't _that_.

Completely engrossed in her social media she didn't notice the commotion outside until Cynthia barged through her door without knocking. "Misty, damnit, are you deaf? We need to get in position._ Now_."

Misty looked up, confused; her hair disheveled and not even properly dressed. "Why? Who's there?"

Cynthia threw her arms into the air in exasperation. "Who do you think? It's Ash. And he seems well prepared and pretty determined. He'll be in your room in no time."

Misty took a sharp breath.

It was time.

Things had changed a lot for the Elite four over the years - the matches were broadcasted over national tv and the internet now, for example - but the most important part was still that challenger and challenged were still alone in the room during the match, and it scared Misty to death.

Not that she was scared of Ash or anything. She knew he'd never physically hurt her. Still - being alone with her ex boyfriend for longer periods of time definitely didn't show up on her to-do list.

There was also the fact that the members were supposed to spend the time the challenger needed in the previous rooms in complete isolation. Cynthia and her were known to bend the rules a bit, staying together for longer than typically allowed, but today they really took it to the max. Misty know she'd go mad in anticipation and Cyn understood her without words, so she stayed until the second ding - meaning Ash was on his way to Agatha's room.

Since Misty had taken over Lorelei's spot in the Elite four they had repeatedly changed the previously so stone-set order they had to be beaten in. At the moment Misty was the fourth and last station before the champ, and hardly anyone even came through to her.

Cynthia had not had to fight once since she came from Sinnoh, and Misty was unbeaten in her career as an Elite four member.

That didn't change that she was more than anxious about Ash's arrival in her room - and she had no doubts that he would. She knew that if he had his mind set on something, nothing would be able to stop him, not even Agatha with her creepy ghost pokemon and strong attack combinations.

Still, the ding implying he had beaten her came even sooner than anticipated.

She took a long breath, trying to calm herself down, then her door opened and a stoic mask covered all her real emotions -

but not for long.

Within seconds there was the sound of paws on the floor, Ash's voice calling for his partner - then Pikachu came running in at top speed, right towards Misty. "Pikachupiiiiiii!" he called out before he jumped up into Misty's arms, snuggling in to her as close as possible.

He made blissful sounds as she stroked him and held him close, and she couldn't help the tears rising to her eyes. "Pikachu," she said quietly, almost breathlessly, he murmured another "Pikachupi" back as she closed her eyes, savouring the moment. She had missed him so much.

It took them a while to let to of each other, and even then Pikachu didn't climb back down. Instead he sat down on her shoulder facing forward - where his trainer was already waiting, looking at them with a soft expression. "Misty," he said, and the way her name rolled swiftly and melodious from his tongue like he was meant to say it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Damn him for having the same effect on her even now, after years.

"Ash," she greeted him with a slight nod. A lot was left unsaid between them as Ash wordlessly gesticulated to the cameras, indicating that they should talk later, when they weren't being watched.

Misty silently thanked him with another nod, but didn't miss the way he mouthed "I missed you". Instead of reacting she bit her lower lip to keep the rising tears at bay - and waited for Ash to officially challenge her.

The match went by in a blur. Misty could hardly even recall all the moves she had tried or the pokemon she had chosen; the only thing she knew was that Pikachu had sat idly on her shoulder the whole time, refusing to fight against her.

It had been a hard fight, but in the end Ash had barely pulled through. When he went to move past her he hugged her, tightly, hiding his face in the crock of her neck even though he was taller than her. "I missed you so much, Mist," he whispered, quietly enough the microphones wouldn't pick up on it. Tears were threatening to fall at the intimate way he said her name, no, his personal, special nickname for her; a name he'd only ever used with love in his voice - like now. She closed her eyes, let her head sink onto his and took a deep breath. He smelled like his shampoo, citrus, but also like earth and something indescribable, something that was just entirely _his_.

When he let go and took a step back she realized there were tears in his eyes as well, but he still smiled at her, maturely and different but somehow still the Ash from years ago - still _her_ Ash.

For a while they just looked each other in the eyes and Misty was entirely unable to move. She was drowning in clear brown water, the feeling familiar yet foreign and so entirely consuming she couldn't breathe. Then he broke the illusion by looking to his partner, and Misty was left gasping for air.

"You remember what we talked about, buddy?" he asked and Pikachu, still perched on her shoulder, nodded decisively. "Pikapi, pikachupi pikachu," he said as he snuggled to her cheek once more, then he hopped over to his partner's shoulder.

"He said we'll see you soon," Ash informed her with a warm look to his friend before turning to Misty once again. "And we will. Just you wait." There was something burning in his look, something passionate and raw, and all she could do was nod quietly, not trusting her voice.

Then Ash went on and Misty allowed herself to break down.

After a few minutes of crying and trying to calm herself down she came back to her senses. She went to change and freshen up, then made her way to the Champion's room. Contrary to the matches against the Elite Four the one against the Champion was open for public, challengers were even encouraged to bring friends and family as support.

When she stepped into the huge arena she could hardly believe her eyes. While it was quite the usual that there were some spectators during those matches, she had never seen that many fans in the arena. It was buzzing with conversations, the air heavy with anticipation, but a sudden silence waved over the stands as the first fans recognized her in the hallway open for the Elite Four members.

Agathe, Bruno and Lance were already seated in their assigned seats and offered her applause for the match, in which the fans quickly tuned in. Both Cynthia and Ash, previously deeply in conversation, turned around to check what the fuss was about, and for some reason Misty blushed as she felt Ash's eyes on her. She hadn't done it intentionally, but now she realized that she had subconsciously chosen the same outfit she had worn on their journey over a decade ago. She'd filled out since then, so it now worked a lot differently, highlighting her skinny waist and her bust.

Ash's eyes burned her skin as he looked her over, basically ravished her with his looks alone. Cynthia raised an eyebrow in question, but Misty just shrugged and she let it go.

She was on her way to her seat with the other Elite Four members when she heard her name being called from the field, which was a bit lower than the stands. When she looked down again Ash had come over to her side, gesticulating to the stairs that led to the field.

The fans, previously pretty quiet, broke out in whispered chatter as she walked down the stairs to hear what Ash had to say to her.

He took her hand when she approached, gently interlacing their fingers and Misty found herself blushing yet again, thrown off guard by the fact that firstly, it just felt _right_, and secondly, the pain was gone. As she looked into Ash's eyes she couldn't deny the fact that there was_ love _there, and it filled her to the brim with warmth, mending her broken heart back together piece by piece.

_What the fuck is happening?_

"Misty," Ash started and Pikachu on his shoulder nodded encouragingly, "Would you do me the honours of sitting in my box?"

It was a simple request, even in her role as an Elite four member, but as his brown eyes gazed into hers she could read between the lines, knew how much it meant to him. He wanted her there, back at his side, where she belonged; where she had always belonged. Tears filled her eyes again, but this time, they were born from a feeling of happiness, so deep she hadn't known she was still capable of anymore.

"Yes," she whispered and his lips spread into a wide, familiar grin. She was about to walk over to his box when he held her back by their still intertwined fingers. "I'm gonna win for you, Mist. You'll know what it means." His voice was loud enough for the microphones placed in the arena to pick up on it, but for some reason, she didn't even care. She just nodded, gently caressing the back of his hand with her thumb, then she gave him a smile and let go.

Arriving in his box she was greeted by not only Delia, who hugged her with tears in her eyes, and Rocko and Tracey, who did the same; but also other companions, like May and Dawn, who greeted her with open arms as well. "He was heartbroken," Dawn whispered into her ear as they hugged, "He was never the same. I'm so glad you're back together."

She didn't correct her that really, they weren't back together, but for some reason she didn't feel the need to.

It sounded right.

Ash brought Pikachu over to his box before they started the match since he would only come in later, and the pokemon voluntarily took a seat in _her_ lap despite all the other people being there. Ash's eyes caught hers once more and held onto them, and she blushed when he broke the contact, realizing she'd been caught on camera just staring into her ex-boyfriend's eyes like a lovesick fool.

When she fished her pokegear out of her purse to silence it she was met with so many notifications she needed a minute to scroll through them all. #Pokeshipping had trended on both twitter and tumblr, people had recorded her interaction with Ash and even though it hadn't been more than 5 minutes, had made edits with their entwined hands, had put up video sequences of it; there were news pages analyzing their every look, every word. Overall, it was completely overwhelming and she was stuck with her mind going into overdrive, until Brock's hand covered the display, interrupting her spiraling.

"Do you care?", he asked quietly, and she shook her head reflexively - she didn't, not really. He nodded encouragingly and she shifted her attention to the field, where the match was about to begin. Pikachu grabbed one of her hands and held onto it, and so they both supported each other as it started.

Pikachu left her lap about half an hour later. Things weren't looking too good, Ash was on his last pokemon, but Pikachu was so energetic and confident Misty hadn't lost faith yet.

Both fought harder than ever before. Never in the years she'd known them had they fought with more determination, more resolution; it was like they were possessed. When Cynthia was down to her last pokemon it looked like Pikachu was about to lose, but when Ash asked him if he was okay he shouted something that Misty was sure had "Pikachupi" in it and kept going.

Pikachu and Cynthia's Garchomp fought like never before, and it was halfway through the fight that Misty finally realized what was happening, why Ash was back and what he was doing.

Sure, it was his goal to become the Champ, it had always been; but there was something else as well, something that she only understood when she truly thought about the words he'd said when she had left the field - that he would win it for her.

It wasn't only his skills as a Pokemon Master that he was proving to her, he was also proving something entirely different: commitment. Not to the job -

to _her_.

Being a Champ meant staying in Kanto, at the Indigo Plateau - staying with her.

He was done running. He was ready to settle down.

Suddenly, it was all clear, him taking on the league again, the first interview of him she'd seen - _"I had to prove something to myself first"_ \- it all made sense.

Something in her heart settled into place.

She allowed herself to feel - truly feel - for the first time in forever. Not just the pain, the bad feelings, but the love, the happiness, the excitement; she let it all wash over her like a tidal wave, let them overrun her, pull her under and push her back up again, and when the high tide was over and low tide set in it cast her ashore, left her lying in the sand, clean and fresh and somehow more herself than before.

She was Misty Waterflower, and she loved him, Ash Ketchum, and she would fight for it with all she had.

It wasn't that the heartbreak and the pain were forgotten, it was more that she was free of all left resentment, her wounds clean, and she could give herself the chance to heal - with him by her side.

She never wanted to miss him again.

And in the moment the last Iron Tail hit, hidden under the loud bang and following cheers, she murmured to herself: _"I love you, Ash."_

When the cloud of dust cleared the first visible opponent was Cynthia's huge Garchomp, clearly defeated and unable to move. For a second, Misty was worried because she couldn't see Pikachu, but then a flash of yellow caught her eyes...

And there he was, Pikachu, obviously pretty beaten up, with scratches and bumbs - but standing.

Ash and Pikachu had won.

As Ash raced across the field to his partner the crowd practically lost it. Cheering, crying, shouting, and in the midst of it all, Misty - tears were running down her face as she stood there, stunned, unable to move. She got hugs from all around, Brock, Tracey, Delia, May and Dawn, and everyone told her they were happy for them - making her realize she was right.

Everyone else had known before her, but who cared; the important part was that he wanted to be with her. Wanted to _settle_ with her.

In the meantime, Cynthia had made her way across the field, congratulated Ash and Pikachu heartily, and then left the disbelieving Trainer - Pokemon - duo behind to find her best friend.

The rest of Ash's box pushed Misty down the stairs as her best friend approached, and so they hugged tightly while Cynthia murmured into her ear.

"He really wants this, Misty. For you. You'll be so good together."

When they came out of the embrace Cynthia held her in place for a minute, searching for her eyes, for the truth. "Are you okay?"

"More than okay," Misty whispered back, tears still streaming down her eyes but with a look that she knew spoke of nothing but happiness. Cynthia nodded, satisfied, and took a step to the side -

and there he was, Ash, Pikachu in his arms, smiling so brightly the sun should be ashamed to shine. "For me?" Misty asked, quietly, just to confirm what she already knew.

"For you," he nodded. There was longing in his eyes as they slipped down to her lips, but he hesitated.

Misty didn't.

It was like something had switched in her head, no, in her heart; suddenly, she knew what she felt, she was entire certain about what he felt, and she wanted the whole, Arceus-damned world to know.

The moment their lips touched everything else moved into the background, faded, and then it was gone - all that was left was him and her, and Pikachu in the middle of them. She didn't even perceive how at first, the entire stadium went so silent, they would've been able to hear a pin drop, and then collectively burst into cheers. And it didn't matter, either.

All that mattered was that she loved him. And that he loved her back.

Within seconds after they broke the kiss, they were engulfed by their friends, cheering for and with them, and Misty was certain her cheeks had permanently taken on a deep red colour. She had taken Pikachu from his trainer, giving Ash the opportunity to hug them and talk to them, and felt her mended heart swelling at the pokemon happily nestling against her.

Afterwards they were ushered out of the arena as it was being prepared for the grand ceremony. The small room they gave Ash to get ready was entirely to small for all their friends, but they pushed her in, and she was truly alone with Ash for the first time since their breakup.

He held her in his arms, her head resting in the crock of his neck, and she was so happy it _hurt_.

"I'm so happy," Ash said softly and Misty couldn't trust her voice, just hummed in agreement. "I love you so much, Mist. I _missed_ you. I couldn't stop thinking about you, but I - I didn't feel ready to stay in one place… Until Brock knocked some sense into me. That I haven't been running to something, but from it. From _you_."

Misty pressed her face deeper into his shirt as he talked, smelling his scent, and cried softly. She didn't particularly know why she cried - still, or again? - but she was done hiding her emotions.

Then she felt Ash's fingers on her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes, into the love shining there. "Can you forgive me?"

"You idiot," she whispered back, "I already did."


	3. For The Hearts

Ash's life honestly couldn't be much better. He had achieved his life-long dream of becoming a pokemon master, even worked as Elite Four Champ in his home region of Kanto. He had the best friend and pokemon partner anyone could ever hope for, and he was in a relationship with the most beautiful and amazing girl there was, who he also was head over heels in love with for more than a decade now.

There was just one small thing still missing…

"You want to do _what_ now?" Brock yelled through the tiny cafe they were sitting in. Since there were no new challengers for at least this week, so he had decided to fly down to Pewter City to meet up with Brock and ask for his opinion.

He had not expected this reaction though.

"Say it a bit louder, I don't think Misty heard you yet," Ash hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard them, but most of the other customers weren't paying attention to them. "I don't see why that's so hard to believe," he added, offended, taking a sip of his coffee to keep himself from losing it. He had heard the negative undertone in his friend's voice and he didn't like it at all.

"I just - That's a huge step, Ash," Brock said, hesitantly, looking at his friend like he was a wild animal ready to attack at any given moment. "I wouldn't have expected it from you, and not so soon."

Ash blinked. "So soon? Misty and I have been in love with each other for over a century!"

"Yes, but you've spent at least half the time hurting each other because both of you were scared of the commitment your relationship needed when it got really serious. It's been two years since you got back together, Ash."

Ash could see his friend's point, but he shook his head nonetheless. Brock couldn't see it, because he hadn't _lived_ it, but there was nothing screaming commitment more than changing his whole life for Misty. He knew it was a risk, but it was one he was willing to take to get her completely, and for the rest of his life.

"I love her, Brock. And maybe it seems like that for you, but we've basically been in a relationship the whole time, at least our hearts. I was completely dedicated to her, and I never even thought about any other girl that way. I know it's a huge step. I know there's more to it than just love and commitment, but isn't that the most important part? I love her more than anything else in the world. And, which is about as important, Pikachu loves her as well. You want me to do it, right buddy?" He closed his monologue with a question for his partner, who looked up from his chocolate, nodding with bright eyes. He had been ecstatic when he'd understand the custom behind it.

Brock, taking just a short look at the pokemon, smirked and nodded slowly. "Well done. You passed."

Again, Ash blinked, not understanding what was going on. "I… Passed?" he asked, looking at his friend like he'd grown a second head.

Brock nodded. "Yes. You think I would let you marry one of my oldest friends without being sure of your intentions and determination?"

Ash said nothing, just stared continuously, and Brock sighed. "Look, I admit I was surprised at first, but I think it's a great idea, Ash. It's just that your relationship is not just your's, it's also the media's, and I know what they're going to ask. I know they're going to question your every step. I just don't want you to pop the question and get cold feet because the next best reporter called it a dumb idea. It would break Misty's heart all over again."

Ash blushed, taking another sip, before he nodded. "Okay, I get it." It was silent for a few seconds, then Ash lifted his head, looking directly to his friend, and there was an insecurity in his eyes that Brock had rarely seen before. "Do you think she will say yes?"

Brock smiled softly. "Without any doubt."

The smile on his friend's face was so bright it warmed his heart.

Brock was right about one thing: this relationship was theirs, but the media was so heavily involved in it sometimes Ash wondered if they had nothing else to talk about. The truth was though that it got them readers. Ash and Misty both had a lot of fans, and that number had only gotten up since the shipping started - also, he had to admit he wasn't innocent either. He had given them a lot to go on when he'd challenged the league… They had talked about it after he'd won though, and Misty had agreed to just lay it all out there - the interest in them would dwindle down with time when nothing else happened.

Well, that had been a big misconception on their part. Ash had been the champ for over two years now, and the media's interest had yet to lessen considerably.

Both Ash and Misty were surprisingly okay with it. They loved each other, and to a certain degree Ash was even glad everyone knew. Misty was more than pretty and had enough men hanging onto her every word, but because of their public relationship not a lot of them had the guts to ask her out.

Now, though, he wanted more. When he got asked about her, he didn't want the reporters to say _girlfriend_. He wanted them to say _wife_ \- fiance would be a good start though.

So, with his okay from Brock, he started preparing. He knew how he wanted to do it, in the arena, where he felt a lot of their problems had been resolved, in remembrance of his match to become the champion - just that he wanted to fight against her, proving her one more time that he was worth her time and her love.

It would be easy to get her to agree to a match - he'd just peak her competitive side, making a bet out of it - "If you win I'll handle our next five interview requests." - "And if you win?" - "I get to ask you a question."

Having already talked to her sisters, there was just one person left who's okay he needed - and it was the scariest one yet.

Her best friend.

Out of everyone, Cynthia would probably be the hardest to convince. She'd met his girlfriend when she was at her lowest, heartbroken and only half herself, so she knew the damage he was able to cause.

Not that he wanted to cause any damage ever again.

But would Cynthia believe that? 

So, with Pikachu on his shoulder as his companion, but also as his aid, he made his way down the corridor. Misty was down at the beach, training, which meant she'd be gone for a while, giving him the perfect opportunity to talk to her best friend in private. Cynthia on the other hand was in her room, probably doing some leftover paperwork for their latest challenger.

After Ash had beaten her for the champion's position Misty had been heartbroken, knowing her best friend would probably go back to Sinnoh. Therefore it had been his utmost pleasure to perform his first task as the official champion: Agatha, so old by now he hadn't even been sure how she was still able to fight, had come to him, telling him that for years now, she had just waited for the right successor to take over her place in the Elite Four, and she had no found that person in Cynthia - meaning she could finally step down.

Cynthia had agreed immediately, and Misty had been over the moon.

When he took a seat in Cynthia's room now, he thought back to all the times Cynthia had helped him with Misty, had encouraged and guided him. He just hoped she would be on board with this, because without her marrying Misty would cause all three of them pain. They were as close as it got, and he didn't want to compete with her.

"So…You want to ask her to marry you?" Cynthia opened their conversation, calmly looking at Ash over the rim of her coffee cup. Ash's eyes got wide and he didn't even have to ask.

"It's obvious, Ash. I've been suspecting it for weeks. You've always looked at her in a special way, but recently your cheeks would redden and a certainty take over your eyes. I've been waiting for you to ask her, and I'm a bit surprised you came to me first."

There was a beat of silence only broken by Pikachu next to him snickering quietly, and before Ash could say anything, she continued. "You know I can't give you permission, Ash, or advice. It's on you."

Ash, having left behind the surprise, became serious and confident. "I'm neither asking for your permission nor advice. I love Misty with all my heart, and I want her to be my wife. But I do not want to and would not ask her, knowing it would cause tension between you two. I want to make her happy, not sad."

The right corner of Cynthia's mouth twitched up, just a bit, but it was all Ash needed to know that he'd done something right. "Good answer, champ. Have I ever told you why I came here?"

Ash shook his head.

"It was because of Misty. I met her over in Sinnoh while she was on vacation, and she seemed… Alone. Lost, somehow. We clicked, and because nothing was waiting for me back in Sinnoh anyway, and when Kanto called telling me the old champion quit, I took the job immediately. I wanted to help her find her way, and maybe find mine as well. I did find it, as well as the best friend anyone could ever hope for. And over time, Misty didn't seem so alone anymore."

Ash sat still, listening calmly to what Cynthia had to say. He wasn't surprised Misty had seemed lost. He knew he had been at that time.

"Do you know what changed since you got here, Ash?" Cynthia asked, her voice unwavering. He shook his head again.

"She's not lost anymore. Since the first day I met her there was always that look in her eyes - like she didn't know where she was going. Until you resurfaced. I watched the look become less and less apparent, and now it's gone. She found her way. Because of you."

Ash felt his heart constricting almost painfully in his chest. He didn't know why, but these words meant more to him than he had ever imagined.

"So, just if that wasn't clear before: I think it's a great idea. Go get her, champ."

As imagined Ash had no problem getting Misty to agree to a match the next day, and he was pretty sure she had no clue on what he had planned.

When he came into the Arena the next morning, he was surprised the stands were at least half full. They had made a competitive post on social media the night before, more out of fun than to get people there, still, a lot had come, wanting to witness it first hand.

He touched the velvet box in his pocket, and Pikachu on his shoulder patted his cheek, sensing the anxiety.

When he'd woken up this morning Misty had already left for her morning run, so he kissed her and greeted her with a fond "good morning" that made her smile softly and the crowd go wild. Then, they got into position, calling their first pokemon.

Ash smiled. _This is it. _

In the end, he pulled through mostly because of Pikachu, and he was beyond relieved. It was like the last obstacle was cleared. He would really do it.

He gave his pokemon the nod to go ahead, to catch Misty's attention, giving Ash the opportunity to get into position.

He walked towards Misty, pulling out the ring box and getting down on one knee just a few feet away from her, but she was so occupied with Pikachu it still needed his partner to point her towards him.

The crowd had gone completely silent as Misty's eyes caught his, and the snap of the ring box opening echoed through the arena like thunder.

"What?" she whispered, disbelieving, taking a step closer.

"Misty Waterflower," Ash started, his voice wavering just the slightest bit, "I've been in love with you for almost half my life now, and I don't want to picture it without you in it, ever. Being with you is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced and you challenge me to be a better person every day. Will you do me the honours of marrying me?"

Tears flooded her eyes and her hand had shot up to cover her quivering mouth. In the corner of his eyes he could see Cynthia standing at the sideline, smiling warmly, and Pikachu had moved to press his cheek to Misty's.

"What do you think, Pikachu?", she asked him, quietly, almost breathlessly, and the Pokemon squealed happily. "Is that a yes?" she inquired further, and Ash smiled. "He was actually the one pushing me to do this."

A grin so bright it rivaled the sun broke out on her face, and Ash felt like he was blinded.

Blinded to never see anyone else but her.

"Than yes. Of course I'll marry you."

When he put the ring on her finger the crowd went wild, but neither Ash nor Misty even realized it. They were in their own little bubble, and nothing else mattered.

"I love you, Ash," Misty whispered as he stood before her and he smiled, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you too, Mist."

And when he leaned down to kiss her, he was sure he'd never been happier than in this moment.

_Now_, he'd think after the kiss, _I have everything._


End file.
